The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1887-11-09
MAGE'S SERMON.
ed Discourse in Defense OF
Young Men,
ie of q Good Home and the b"i-
OF Power Found I'm Noble
eaI--ReIigIous Principle the
Test of Character.

!. Dewitt Tslmage took for the
~ recent discourse at the Brook
,ernacle a "Defense of Young
is text being
Lord opened the eyes of the young
J Kings, vi. II.
aid: One morning in Dothan a
theological student was scared by
himself and Elisha, the prophet,
whom he waited, surrounded by
army OF enemies. But venerable
was not scared at all, because he
o mountains full of defense for him,
riots made out Of fire, wheels OF
ashboard Of fire, and cushion OF fire,
by horses with nostrils of fire, ana
of fire. and launches OF ire, and
of fre--a supernatural appearance
ould not be seen with the natural
So the old minister prayed that the
minister might see them also, ana
rayer was answered, and the LORD
ID the eyes of the young man, and ne
saw the fiery procession, looking
fwhat, / suppose, like the Adirondacks
.e AlIeghanies in their autumnai re-
pdence.
ANY young men, standing among the
| I tremendous realities. have their
half shut or entirely closed. May
grant that my sermon may open wide
: eyes to your safety, your opportunity
your destiny.
mighty defense for young man is
Il home. Some Of my hearers look back
h tender satisfaction to their early
ne. 1t may have been rude and rustic,
den among the hills, and architect or
holsterer never planned on adorned 1t.
fall the fresco on princely walls never
ked so enticing to you as those rough
wn rafters. You can think of no park
arbor Of trees planted on fashionable
untry seat so attractive as the plain
ook that run in front of the old farn
use and sang under the weeping will
ws. No barred gateway adorned with
atue of bronze, and swung open by OBJ
iquous porter in full dress, has haf tbs
DRY Of the swing gate.
Many of you have a second dwelling
lace, your adopted home, that also is sa-
red forever. There you built the first
unity altar. There your children were
RI. All those trees you planted. That
iSs2lemR. because once in it, over
thsYlow, fapped the wings of death.
5nder that roof you expect when yonr
work Is done to lie down and die. Yea
try with many words to tell the excel lency
Of tho place, but you fail There is only
one word in the language that can de-
scribe your meaning. IL is home.
Now, I declare it, that young man is
comparatively safe who goes out into the
world with a charm like this upon him.
The memory Of parental solicitude, plan
ming aud praying, will be to him shield
snd a shelter. never knew man faith
a.. /. IL. ..t.r ...I I'D ta1
who a, the same time was given over to
ny gross form of dissipation or wicked
ness. He who seeks his enjoyment chiefly
from outside a~sociation, rather than from
the more qus,t and unpresuming
may be suspected to be on
the broad road to ruin. Alb
solom despised his fathers house, and
you know his history of sin and his death
of shame. If you sesm unnecessarily iso-
lated from your kindred and former asso-
ciates, Is there not some room that you can
call your own Into it gather books, pa
pers, and pictures, aud harp. Have .
portrait over the mantel. Make ungodly
mirth stand back from the threshold.
Consecrate some spot with the knee OF
payer. BY the memory of other days, a
o sisters confidence, call it home.
Another defense for young man is In
dnstrious habit Many young men, in
starting upon life in this age, expect to
make their way through the world by the
use of their wits rather than the toll of
their hands. A child now goes to the city
and fails twice before be is as old as his
father was when he first saw the spires of
the great town. Sitting in some office,
rented at 81 900 year, he is waiting for
the bank to declare its dividend,
or goes into the market expect
ing before night to be made rich
by the rushing up of the stocks.
But luck seemed so dull he resolved on
some other tack. Perhaps be borr owed
from his employers money-drawer and
forgets to put it back. or, for merely the
purpose OF improving his penmanship
makes copy plate of merchants sig
nature Never mind, all is right in trade.
In some dark night there may come in his
dreams o vision Of Biackwell's Island, or
of Sing Sing, but IL soon vanishes. In a
short time he will be ready to retire from
the busy world, and with his fiocks and
herds cultivate the domestic virtues.
Then those young men who once were his
schoolmates and know no better than to
engage in honest work, will come with
their OK teams to draw him logs, and with
their hard hands help heave up his castle.
This Is no fancy picture. II is every.
day life. l should not wonder If there
were some rotten beams in that beautiful
palace. should not wonder II dire sick
ness should smite through the young man,
or if God should pour into his cup Of life
a draught that would thrill him
with unbearable agony. | should
not wonder it4AiaehfIdren should become
Nng curse, making his home a
nest afid disgrace should not wonder
Il he goes to miserable grave, and be-
yond II into the gnashing of teeth. The
way of the ungodly shall perish.
Nv young friends, there Is no way 10
genuine success except through toll, either
Of the head or hand. AT the battle of
Crecy, in 1916, the Prince of Wales, find
ing himself heavily pressed by the enemy,
sent word to his father for help. The
father, watching the battle from wind
mill, and, seeing that his son was not
wounded and could gain the day II he
would, sent word: "No, will not come.
Let the boy win his spurs, for, if God will,
desire that the day be his, with all its
honors." Young man, fight your own
battle all through, and you shall have the
victory. Oh, il is battle worth fighting
Two monarchs of old fought a duel,
Charles V. and Francis, and the stakes
were kingdoms Milan and Burgundy.
You hght with sin, and the stake Ia
Heaven or hell.
Do not get the fatal idea that you are
genius, and that therefore there is no
need OF close application. II is here
where multitudes fail. The great curse of
this age is the goniuses, men with enorm-
Gus self-conceit and egotism, and nothing
else. ! had rather be an OK than an
eagle; plain aud plodding and useful,
rather than high flying and good for moth.
ing but TO pick cut the eyes of carcasses.
Extraordinary capacity without use is ex-
traordinsry failure There is no hope for
that person who begins life resolved to
live by his wits, for the probability is he
bas not any. II was not safe for Adam,
even In his unfallen state, to have noth-
ing 10 do, and therefore God commanded
him 10 DO a farmer aud horticulturist He
was 10 dress the garden and keen H. and